August Blog Challenge Day 11

Today's challenge is to think about the songs I listen to when I'm Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, and Mad. However, I do not really go to music in any of these situations, or at least I do not go to specific songs. I do find that when certain songs start to play they evoke memories or emotions. I usually seek out music that has a good beat and makes me happy. I can only imagine what people in the cars next to me are thinking because I do tend towards some car dancing.

I know, I'm copping out on this challenge, but at least I admit to car dancing...wildly car dancing.... car dancing to the point that I realize that I'm super out of shape because I have been known to finish a song and be completely out of breath. The most miraculous part of it all is that the most frequent time that I car dance is in the afternoons as I leave the office....coincidence? 

August Blog Challenge Day 10

Today's challenge is to talk about something that I am proud of.

Now, this was a tough one because there are a lot of things that I'm proud of, at least in the moment that they are complete or that I'm doing them, etc. .

• You know, some of my quilts, I'm pretty proud of those. 
• And, purchasing a house, I'm pretty proud of making that commitment and keeping up with it and trying to make the house my home. 
• I'm proud of my puppy, just because he is just so darn cute. 
• I'm really proud of both my niece and nephew because they are amazing kids and quickly growing into wonderful young adults. 
• I'm proud that I've never been in jail, I'm always pretty much been a rule follower, so there really hasn't been any big fear there. 

One of the things that I'm recently proud of is:

Yep, that's me skydiving. I'm not so much proud of the act of skydiving (although I am), but more that I took the risk. I went with my gut and agreed to do it when Sara was talking about it and actually followed through on doing it. The next risk that I took was traveling to Europe with some ladies that I didn't really know, but I did it anyway and even happily went off on my own.

I'm trying more and more to take those deep breathes and just plunge in and take the risks that will make my life more fulfilling....but it is tough.

Just Because

One of the guys that I work with sent me the link to a restaurant in Dallas that I want to go to now (he actually said "This is a place you and Sara should go to"). It is called Oddfellows and they were voted Best Mac & Cheese in Dallas 2011.

What really caught my interest, when looking at their menu on line, was the titles of the following two sections:

August Blog Challenge Day 9

Today's Challenge was to post a picture of a place that has had the biggest impact on me. In thinking back through my life and trying to determine a specific place that has had a big impact on me and the one place that I kept coming back to was:

If you don't know where this is, then perhaps this will help:

Yep, Texas A&M is the place that has had the biggest impact on me. Admittedly, I wonder now if it was the best choice for me. But, having gone there I have to admit that I would certainly NOT be the person that I am today and I would not have had the experiences or know many of the people that I now know. I definitely would have had a different road to travel had I not gone there, but deep down I'm very glad that I did.

I am an Aggie. 

August Blog Challenge Day 8

Today's challenge is to inform the world who my favorite super hero is and why. I have to go back to my childhood to identify who would be MY favorite super hero. After thinking through my options, and realizing that female supers are few and far between, I opted for Isis:

I remember bits and pieces of the show The Secrets of Isis.

The reasons that I want to be this super hero are:

1. In her non-super state her name is Andrea. 
2. She is a high school science teacher, although I would have preferred history. 
3. She found the amulet that gave her the powers while on an archaeological dig. I think back and wonder why I didn't go into archaeology...should have thought about that when I was thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. 
4. She has a virtually unlimited array of superhuman powers and abilities (of course she is actually a god). 
5. She speaks in rhyming couplets. 
6. Even in her non-super state, she has the ability to communicate telepathically with her pet. Yeah, her pet was a bird but I figure if she had a dog she could communicate with him as well. 

So, going forward, if you hear me mumble the phrase "Oh, Mighty Isis", know that I'm just channeling my inner super hero powers....

August Blog Challenge Day 7

Today's Challenge was to post a picture of a place that I have been. Well, as you know, I've been a lot of places lately, so I decided to find a picture of someplace that I've been to, but it has been a long time....

This is a picture of Longwood Plantation. It is located in Natchez, MS. When we lived in Mississippi we took one of our family trips to visit some of the historic battle sites and antebellum homes. This would be when I was in elementary/junior high time frame, so many, many years ago.

Sadly, there is a lot of those trips that I do not recall, but I've never forgotten this house. It is thought to be the largest octagonal house, unfortunately, it was never completed. The interior was never completed. All worked stopped on the building when the Civil War broke out and it never was restarted.

You can visit the building and see where the scaffolding remains and if I recall correctly you could even find the tools where the workmen left them....of course I may be thinking about the Winchester Mystery House...

The other thing that I remember is that this house was being built by Dr. Nutt, so I have always thought of it as the Nutt House, but if you Google Nutt House, you don't find Longwood. I guess I should thank my parents for taking my sister and me on these trips, I may not have appreciated it at the time, but in the long run it has made my life so much richer. 

August Blog Challenge Day 6

Today's Challenge is to discuss something that I am looking forward to.

No, I'm not looking forward to the ghost of Patrick Swayze coming to visit me. Nor am I looking forward to Demi Moore in any way, shape, or form. What I'm looking forward to is taking pottery classes.

I've signed up for the classes and they start in September. The first classes (and there are 14 weeks of classes, if my math is correct) are going to be hand-forming pottery, which does not include the use of the pottery wheel. The second half of the classes is actually "throwing" the clay and using the pottery wheel. I've never actually done any pottery before, so this will be interesting. I find the idea of creating something out of clay fascinating and who knows, maybe I actually will be good at it and become the next ceramics phenom in the art world....or I'll make an ashtray for my Dad, who doesn't smoke....

August Blog Challenge Day 5

Today's Challenge: A Picture of You and Your Friends

Well, this was very difficult as 1. I dislike pretty much any picture that I am in. 2. Which friends do I choose and more to the point which friends do I have a picture with? 3. Is there a time frame? With that being said, here is a montage of pictures through the years and in no particular order....

My friend Anna Marie and me in Nuevo Laredo. The tall skinny guy is actually a friend of her little brother who was with us. We took a day trip there from San Antonio in 1990ish....

Long, long ago on the campus of Texas A&M there was a tradition called Elephant Walk whereby the Seniors would all tramp through campus and the Juniors would "kill" them by throwing shaving cream and mud, etc. The walk started at the site of Bonfire and went all over campus, through fountains and mud fields and where ever and would end up in Kyle Stadium for a Senior only Yell Practice. This always occurred the week of Bonfire, which was the week of the Texas A&M vs. t.u. game. It was our way of having one more moment with our friends before going off to face the real world.

A couple of years back, some of the HCBC ladies all gathered in Southern California and visited The Queen Mary. It was the first time that some of us had ever met in person. Can you believe how time has passed?

While out in California, it was a semi-regular occurrence to head up to Sonoma for a day trip. On this occasion I went with my friends Jennifer and Vanessa.

For my birthday this past Spring, I went to Scarborough Faire with my friend Angelia. She is a magical wing-maker and always dresses the part of a fairy. This trip, she loaned me a pair of wings and I had the privilege of participating. 

Another Texas A&M tradition is the christening of the Senior Rings. This would be me with my roommate Kim (on the right), a friend of hers, and some random guy. I can't believe how skinny I was back then and yet thought that I was overweight....

So, I'm not actually in this picture, but it is one of my favorite pics of Samantha and Sara.

Lastly, a picture of Sara and Gauri before we took the big skydiving plunge.

First, I really need to get more pictures of me with friends. Second, I have a whole lot of really great friends that are spread all over the place and each teach me and challenge me in new and different ways.